Category Archives: Dominicans

The 2010 Dominican General Chapter opened on August 31st (and will close on September 21st) and the 130 capitulars elected Father Bruno Cadoré, 55, as the 86th successor of Saint Dominic; he immediately succeeds Father Carlos Aspiroz Costa who has served for the last 9 years. Father Bruno, until now, has been the Prior Provincial of the French Province and trained as a pediatrics physician with an interest in child hematology and in bio-ethics. He’s also lived and worked in Haiti.

Father Bruno will live at the Convent of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill in Rome.

The Dominican General Chapter meets every three years and elects a new Master of the Order every nine. This is the 290th General Chapter.

UPDATE: Father Master Bruno Cadore gave an insightful interview on H2O News and says some important things about the Word of God and how it shapes our lives, about the necessity and joy of the fraternal life and the unity we are called to live as brothers and sisters. Watch the video here.

Prayers are requested for the members of the General Chapters of the Cistercian monks and the Dominican Friars who begin their meetings today in Rome. In the coming days both Chapters will deal the Order’s business and hold an election for new leadership: the Cistercians will elect a new Father General and the Dominicans a Master General.

In early June Dominican Archbishop Augustine DiNoia addressed a full house people at New York’s Yale Club on some challenges to the faith and why faith in Christ is reasonable. His talk was titled “Facing the Challenges to Faith in Christ Today: The Dominican Way,” the text of his talk is here: DiNoia Facing the Challenges to Faith in Christ Today 2010.pdf

Claudia McDonnell’s article in the Catholic New York, “Faith and Reasoning,” gives a digest of the talk and issues.

Archbishop DiNoia was ordained a bishop in July 2009 and is the Secretary to the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Disciple of the Sacraments at the Holy See.

For nearly a month the Dominican friars of the Province of Saint Joseph (the Eastern Province) elected and/or appointed as capitulars will be at Providence College doing the normal business of governance and making a review (and coming to some decision) on how they live the charism given by Saint Dominic.

Beginning today the 35 friars will enter a period of reflection and prayer as they prepare to elect a new Prior Provincial and other province officials. The vote for the new Provincial will be Friday, June 11.

Please beg the Holy Spirit and ask for the intercession of Saint Dominic with the Dominican blesseds and saints to ask the Lord to shower these friars with clarity of thought, charity and courage to make good decisions. Also, go to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph for help. What happens in the next few weeks charts the course for Dominican mendicant life for the next four years.

As point of interest, the Dominicans in North America (the Eastern, Southern and Canadian Provinces) are electing new leadership and assessing their fraternal life and apostolic priorities.

Praying to Saint Dominic for his help:

O wonderful hope which you gave to those who wept for you at the hour death, promising after your departure to be helpful to your brethren. Fulfill, father, what you have said and help us by your prayers. You who shone by so many miracles worked on the bodies of the sick, bring us the help of Christ to heal our sick souls.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Fulfill, father, what you have said and help us by your prayers. Amen.

Last week there was an extraordinary Mass of Saint Gianna and a talk by the saint’s son at the Church and Priory of Saint Catherine of Siena (E. 68th St, NYC). I still find it amazing to say that a saint’s son is talking about his mother, a saint of the Church. Dominican Brother Ignatius Perkins wrote a reflection on what he experienced and gave some helpful links to a story in the Catholic New York and the video on Currents TV. Having been there myself –though serving the Mass– I am still in awe of the event because I think it truly was an encounter with Christ. Some many people came to meet Christ through the witness of Saint Gianna, the Mass and others. I wouldn’t be surprised if several miracles result from this event.

About the author

Paul A. Zalonski is from New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic ecclesial movement, and an Oblate of Saint Benedict. Contact Paul at paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com.